Frostbite as a problem for dermatoplastic surgery

An analysis of the 35-years experiences with treatment of 621 patients with the IV-degree frostbite of hands and feet is presented. The surgical strategy of treatment of frostbite has undergone considerable evolution for these years. In addition to classical surgical treatment, the surgeons began to widely use methods of dermo-plastic surgery which allowed not only to save the maximum possible length of the extremity segment stump, but also to reduce the frequency of purulent complications and reamputations and thus to shorten the duration of hospital treatment.     

Vancomycin administration in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis: the risk of ototoxicity

Patients diagnosed with nodules (NO = 40) in a large university hospital clinic and an age-stratum matched nondiseased group (ND = 200) described adverse outcomes of vocal impairment on work and work-related communications. NOs were significantly more likely than NDs to report symptoms of hoarseness (73% vs. 26%), high-note difficulty (70% vs. 20%), difficulty speaking with a lower voice (53% vs. 13%) and a tired voice (50% vs. 10%), and their greatest source of physical discomfort was associated with scratchiness (61% vs. 3%). The average number of symptoms was four in NOs and less than one in NDs. Nodule patients were most concerned about the effects their voice problem would have on their future career (78% vs. 24%) and 49% of NOS reported their voice problem had an adverse work effect in the past compared with 4% of NDs. Having a voice condition limited current job performance in 39% of the NO group but only in 2% of the ND group. The results suggest that a diagnosis of nodules plays a major role in disrupting careers and work activities and that available educational programs and additional research are needed for improving their functional ability and preventing adverse outcomes in the lives of individuals with voice disorders.     

Identification of a novel cell attachment domain in the HIV-1 Tat protein and its 90-kDa cell surface binding protein

The HIV-1 transactivator protein Tat is essential for viral gene expression and replication. Tat is taken up by cells and transactivates the HIV-LTR promoter in the cell nucleus. The present studies show that cells adhere to both synthetic and recombinant Tat, and, using synthetic peptides, we localize the binding site to a region spanning amino acid residues 49-57 (peptide Tat49-57). Tat49-57 also inhibited cell attachment to solid phase full-length Tat peptide and to recombinant Tat protein. Using Tat peptide affinity chromatography, we identified a 90-kDa cell surface protein that binds to Tat. The 90-kDa protein could be eluted from the Tat column using the Tat49-57 peptide. A 90-kDa cell surface Tat binding protein was also identified by coprecipitation with Tat after incubation with radiolabeled cell membrane preparations. Co-precipitation of the 90-kDa protein was inhibited by competition with a Tat49-65 peptide, but not with Tat55-86. Our findings suggest that cellular attachment to Tat is mediated through a 90-kDa cell surface protein that binds to a Tat domain between amino acids 49 and 57.     

Acute poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis mimicking Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura

Two children with acute glomerulonephritis, cutaneous vasculitis, and abdominal pain are reported. One child also had transient arthralgia and gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Although the clinical presentation mimicked many of the features of Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura, both patients had unusual variants of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis.     

Studies with an intravas nylon device in rat

Contraceptive efficacy of an intravas device (IVD) was investigated in rat. The IVD used consisted of a nylon suture which did not occlude the lumen of the vas completely and permitted a free passage of spermatozoa. Its presence for periods ranging from 15 to 180 days did not produce any changes in the histology of the testis and epididymis; In the vas deferens the tall columnar ciliated epithelium was replaced by squamous epithelium. A spermatic granuloma developed on the vas at the entry of the IVD and its frequency of occurrence and size increased with the passage of time. The device caused an increase in the vasal protein, sialic acid and phospholipid content, and a decrease in the level of glycogen and alkaline phosphatase activity at 15 days. The level of portein, glycogen and alkaline phosphatase activity returned to normalcy at 90 days but the sialic acid and phospholipid content remained elevated. Notwithstanding these alterations the device failed to affect the spermatozoal number, morphology, motility and their fertilizing ability. The significance of these findings is discussed.     

Cell and organelle shrinkage during preparation for scanning electron microscopy: effects of fixation, dehydration and critical point drying.

The critical point drying method of preparing samples for scanning electron microscopy is associated with a variable amount of specimen shrinkage. We studied the causes of this phenomenon is isolated mouse hepatocyte nuclei and in human erythrocytes and found that the critical point drying process itself caused most of the shrinkage that we observed (a 25-30% reduction in diameter in both specimens). Glutaraldehyde fixation and ethanol dehydration caused only minimal size reduction, prior to critical point drying. Substitution of an inert (ethylene glycol-ethylene glycol monethyl ether) dehydration technique did not alter the final result. Previous studies in our laboratory using high resolution SEM and correlative transmission microscopy of isolated nuclei have demonstrated that the shrinkage represents a miniaturization of the organelles in which all structural components retain their usual relationships.     

5'-degenerate 3'-dideoxy-terminated competitors of PCR primers increase specificity of amplification

Amplification of a product in PCR with specific primers may be viewed as an artificial Darwinian-type "selection of the fittest". In other selective systems, such as general evolution, immune system and probably brain cortex, the stringency of selection is not absolute but rather degenerate, with selection of many highly fit units, not limited, however, to only the fittest. In PCR also, annealing of the primers is not absolutely specific. The subsequent amplification frequently leads to amplification of not only the desired product but also to less-specific sequences. Using theoretical analysis of the degenerate mode of selection, we predict theoretically and prove experimentally that 5'-degenerate, 3'-dideoxy-terminated competitors of PCR primers can be used to dramatically improve the specificity of PCR amplification without affecting the quantitation of the final specific product.